BA Brew Insights: Data Matters

Data Matters

In this latest BA blog, we look at why Data is key to the work of the business analyst, what it can tell us, and where things can go wrong. The following insights are from BA Brew Episode 40 – The Wonders of Data. 

How is data of use to BAs?

Data helps you define and get to the bottom of things. Without data, information systems, solutions, software would not be able to function. Data gives insights, you can look at it from many different angles. It tells us about the world, what’s going on, what people think, how people live. 

What’s the difference between data and information?

A large number has no meaning without context. A piece of data could be a date and a time stamp – unless we know what it represents it is of no use. Data is raw digits, context turns data into information, which helps someone decide, or informs them. If you have other data in context to compare it with, you then have insights.

What is meta data?

‘Meta’ is used in many different contexts. Meta data is data defining data. There are many different types of meta data. You get content meta data, for example a movie as a piece of data – the content is its date, the director, the cast, the genre and so on, including data describing the movie. In terms of business and information systems, data defines the data items and information making up the business and how it is structured.

Are there limits to what data can tell us, in terms of how people feel?

A good question. You can measure people’s opinions on a film review site through a score – this is quantitative data. However, how many ratings are there? If there is only one it is less valid. Or it could that be a review is glowing, but the score is 2/5. Sometimes you have to draw out what is between the lines and consider the qualitative information from the comments. Some people do not understand the difference between qualitative and quantitative data. This can be a problem. 

What is the point of a data model?

The whole premise behind a data model is that it’s a simplification of reality to help your understanding. A simple model can reveal almost as much about an organisation as a hundred process models.

One person, who was not a systems person, wanted to understand what requirements he might have to communicate to an analyst. A simple diagram with customer, order and product in boxes and linked up helped him to understand the model because it matched his reality. He could then add the relevant figures for his business.

In another case a senior stakeholder was sold by a diagram and went away and created his own version, and he was not a data analyst. The model summed up the key factors and the processes that mattered.

What about the ethical issues with data?

There are strict regulations around sharing data to a certain extent, so you must adhere to these. Unfortunately, some people abuse data and use it to make a false argument, this is also an unethical use of data. Skewing data is a dangerous art, presenting a view which is not fully rounded, not telling the whole story. 

Banks and retailers have a lot of data on all of us – from our account information, order histories and loyalty cards and so on. This data could be used unethically, and intrusively. Thankfully there are legal restrictions. And the information is usually only used in a way that is helpful to people. Within the POPIT™️ model, for example, there are policies, procedures and rules. 

Can data be dangerous?

The danger is in not properly understanding data. No data at all is less dangerous than out of date or wrong data. This is where the business analyst comes in. They can help the business understand what data they need and find out if the data comes from a trusted source. Some BAs think it is someone else’s job, but finding the right data and interrogating the data is key to the BA role. We all need to understand data. If we don’t, we are just making assumptions and it’s like driving without a rear-view mirror.

If you enjoyed this blog on Data you may be interested in the following articles, courses and BA Brews.

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